Donna's Daily Happenings

summer travels

2011-07-15T13:10:00.001-05:00

Ahh, how I love summer time! Just last month on Father's Day, my dad, brother, Travis and I left for Tennessee! We took a road trip to Memphis, where we got a tour of Graceland where Elvis lived, and ate at Neely's BBQ! (you know the show, Down Home with The Neely's on Food Network? That precious couple who always makes yummy southern cookin'? -- yep, we ate there). It was super yummy!

We stayed two nights in Memphis, and then drove to Nashville! We stayed at The Gaylord Hotel (umm, probably the most beautiful hotel I've ever been to), and we also went to the Grand Ole Opry! Nashville was a delight, and I would love to go back again one day.

Since I took so many pictures, I made a slideshow of our wonderful trip! Check it out if you want. :)

Although we had lots of fun and did many neat things, my favorite part was spending time with my three favorite boys. I haven't been out of town with my dad since I don't remember when, and it was so great being with him for four entire days. I felt like a little girl all over again being with her daddy...and at 24, that's a great feeling to have.

Thank you for the wonderful trip and the great memories we shared. I love you Dad!

Not only did I get to go on a fabulous roadtrip -- but today I'm leaving for....

ITALY!

Travis and his amazing, sweet, generous family invited me to go with them on a Mediterranean cruise. I am soooo excited!

Here is a picture I took while I was packing. Silly, right? I know...but I'm thrilled!

Can't wait to tell you all about my trip,

got teeth?

2011-07-14T23:47:00.005-05:00

March 7th was the day I started my new job as a dental assistant at Woodlands Family Dental. I have learned so much about the dental field since I started working there, all in such a short amount of time. Our office specializes in cosmetic dentistry, but we do everything else there as well! It is so neat to be able to see teeth being extracted (gross, huh?), cavities filled, crowns made, braces placed, and veneers seated -- among tons of other things! I never thought I'd be so intrigued by dentistry and learning about the mouth, but I'm glad I am.

Our office was voted #1 in The Woodlands for the past two years, so there is a lot of expectations for everyone who works there to meet the needs of our patients, and maintain our reputation.

Stress levels are high at times, and some days I'm worn out and can't wait to get home...but who doesn't have days like that, right? But the best part of my job is all of the beautiful, precious girls I get to work with, and the close bond I have developed with them already. The doctor's, and our intern, Aaron, are quite amazing as well.

I am so grateful to work with so many fun, wholesome people, and I'm so blessed to spend my work days with such a precious team. I truly love my job and I'm so glad I decided to become an RDA!

If you want to check out our website and read my bio, go here!

Keep flossing,

my, my, its been a while...

2011-07-14T00:56:00.002-05:00

So as you can see, I haven't blogged at all in the past three (okay, four) months. So many exciting things have happened in my life in such a short period of time, so I thought I'd sum them up and share them with you...one little post at a time.

As some of you already know, I started my dental assistant career in March. I love my new job so much, and I am learning new things each day. However, it was definitely a hard adjustment. For about seven months prior to starting my new job, I was watching these precious boys each and every day...

As excited as I was to get a job so quickly as an RDA, I was heart broken that I would no longer be spending my days with two of the sweetest boys in the whole wide world. You never realize how rewarding it is to spend your days with precious children, until they're over. I learned so much from my sweet cousins and my heart grew about 100 times bigger because of them.

Austin - I dont care how old you are, but you are one of my best buds in the entire world. Your happiness and love for life exudes and touches everyone you meet. You are so very smart, creative, and extremely funny! You made me laugh each and everyday. I am so lucky...not only did I get to watch you as a new, tiny, precious baby, but again as a darling, adventurous, and FUN five year old. You will never know how special you are to me, and that you gave me a glimpse of what it must feel like to love a child of my own. I miss our days on the couch eating string cheese and watching Tom & Jerry, and laughing at everything. I miss reading books with you everyday, especially when I would read in a funny accent -- you would laugh so much. Every time I hear your sweet voice say, "I love you, Donna," a little piece of me melts each time...you've placed your fingerprints on my heart that will never fade away. Thank you for all of the joy you brought, and continue to bring into my life...you are truly a piece of heaven on earth. I love you, Angel.

Jack - Could you please stay little for forever? I don't know what it is about you and your brother, but you have a way with stealing hearts and leaving us all in awe. You are not only the sweetest, happiest baby I've ever met, but you are the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. Your gorgeous blue eyes could end a war, and your darling laugh could spread joy to the moon and back. I miss holding you, and feeding you your bottle each day -- especially when you would fall asleep in my arms. Your mommy is so lucky to have the best little boys on the planet! I can't believe you are already one year old, but I am so excited to see all that you are learning, and how fast you're growing. I miss playing with you every day and chasing you around the house. My favorite part of the day was when you would wake up and I'd go get you out of bed...you were always smiling and happy each morning. You are a great reminder of how we should all start our day. But nothing beats starting the day with you in my arms and smelling your sweet face and kissing your cheeks. I love you, sweet baby.

Erin - Ah, I can't forget to mention YOU. Being at your house everyday with the boys was delightful enough...but getting to see you every day made it even better. Chatting with you while you put on your makeup each morning before you went to work was so special to me. And the days you stayed home to bake cookies??? LOVED those days! We'd talk for what seemed like hours -- and our already close friendship grew bigger and bigger. We laughed, and cried, and shared so many stories...you are quite the barrel of fun. I admire you in so many ways, and am so thankful and blessed to have you... Not only as a family member, or Aunt, but as an older sister, and absolute best friend. Your beauty radiates to everyone who meets you, and you truly have a heart of gold. It's amazing that so many wonderful qualities could all fit inside of the one, little you. You are the whole package and I am so lucky you are in my life. Not a day goes by where I don't miss you and your precious family and warm, loving home...and even the smell/taste/look of your yummy cookies. Thank you for allowing me to be there for all those months; they were truly some of the best days of my life. I love you, bestie.

Ok -- I know I went and got all sentimental, but they were feelings to be shared, and were long overdue. Thank you Lord, for the beautiful family you've given me. Please remind me to never want anything more...for it is already here.

Glad to be back,

Five years later...

2011-03-01T23:39:00.008-06:00

It is crazy to think that five years ago (on March 2nd 2006, to be exact) I started dating Travis. We were both 19 at the time, so of course we had an 'official' date - one that I am happy to say I have never forgotten. Though the past five years with him have seemed to fly by - the long list of events and vacations, hundreds (okay, maybe thousands) of photos, and tons of special memories are proof of just how long its actually been. I am not only thankful for our relationship, but for our wonderful friendship as well. And although it's not always rainbows and butterflies all the time, I honestly feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be with someone so wonderful, caring, and who has a heart of gold. I am so thankful for this amazing boy who stole my heart five years ago - and I hope he never gives it back.

This is the video I made for Travis with some of my favorite pictures of us from the last two years. You can also watch it here. The quality of the video is much better when its not being played from this site...but I thought I'd share it anyway! (it takes a few minutes to load completely - - however, it includes a sweet and lovely Carrie Underwood song that's totally worth the wait) ;)

happy anniversary to me,

Picture Perfect {well...not exactly}

2011-02-22T23:47:00.003-06:00

About a month ago I got the urge to paint a picture. I didn't know what I wanted to paint...but I knew I wanted it to include a girl and a little decoupage. I know, random right?

So after a trip to Hobby Lobby, this is what I got...

And so I started to sketch out the subject...

Which I started to paint...

Which ended up looking like this (after several hours, granted)...

What do ya think? It's definitely whimsical. But I really love it.

I will admit - her hand looks rather deformed. (no, dont look!) haha, but it turned out better than I imagined, and it was very therapeutic!

And it doesn't look too bad on my wall, either. :)

Well, that was fun...

Gettin' Thrifty

2011-02-19T10:04:00.001-06:00

Thanks to my new found love for DIY blogs (do it yourself), I recently went to thrift stores and found some great finds! Of course, they needed some sprucing up, so with the help of some spray paint I turned them into something even better!

Here is the Before (which I got all for around 12 bucks):

And here is After:

Ah, thank you Jesus for spray paint and cheap candles...I just love this stuff!

Amongst finding all of those little pretty things, I also found this great chair - and only for 10 bucks!

Which I turned into this...

And it looks great like this...

Im pretty much smitten about this chair. And I cannot wait to get to the thrift store soon so I can make more fun stuff! And for super cheap!

happy Saturday,

Be Mine

2011-02-18T15:10:00.000-06:00

For Valentine's day, I wanted to make a sweet treat for Travis - but I wanted to find something cute!

So...thanks to bakerella I found these simple, but adorable cupcakes.

Here's Bakerella's.....

And here are mine....

They definitely aren't as cute, but I was happy with how they turned out! It was a sweet addition to one great valentine's!

xoxo,

Merry Valentines!

2011-02-05T18:33:00.004-06:00

I know what you're thinking - a Valentine's tree? REALLY?
Yes. Really.
Why?
Because I love Christmas trees - and because its freaking cute.
Right?
Well...I think so at least!

The funny thing is, I'm not even a huge fan of Valentine's day...but boredom struck, and out popped an idea. My new goal is to have one for every holiday...Easter is next! ;)

xoxo,

Donna Calhoun, RDA

2011-01-12T05:54:00.004-06:00

Welp! December 11th was the big day for me! It was the day I took my final exam and graduated from Dental Assisting School! After ten challenging, but exciting long weeks, I graduated with an A in the course, and I am now an official Registered Dental Assistant with the state of Texas. It is all so exciting to me because it wasn't long ago that I decided to go to Dental Assisting school, and I feel like I lived, ate, and breathed all things dental for the course of the class. I learned an immense amount about this field, and the techniques involved, and it was bittersweet that those two and a half months went by so quickly. The instructors at the school (whom are RDA's themselves) were amazing woman who made every class exciting and made me want to do this job even more. I even left there with a new, close friend named Maegan - who is already working at a dental office and loves it!

Me and the Instructors on Graduation Day!

Adorable cookies Erin made me - which I passed out to all the girls! Thank you Whip it Good Cookies!

Beautiful roses from Travis he gave me on Graduation Day!

Along with a funny Congratulations card!

I could not be more pleased with my experience at Houston Dental Assisting School, and I am so grateful that I was able to attend. It's always fun to learn something new - and this is one thing I am so glad I did.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2011-01-12T00:15:00.003-06:00

It is hard to believe that Christmas was just a few weeks ago. I hate how it flies by so fast, and I am always so sad to see it end. Which is why it is so important to capture the moment by taking lots and lots of pictures...which I have a tendency to do quite often. ;) With that said, here are a few pictures from our wonderful Christmas and our celebration of our Savior's birth!


The beautiful tree!

Santa came to visit us! Guess we were good this year! ;)

Kisses from my beautiful momma!

Me with Mo & Papa!

So sweet! :)

The most precious boys in the world...

Sweet Heflin's!

Tattie & Grandpa!

Love,

A Calhoun Christmas

2011-01-11T23:32:00.004-06:00

Every year, about a week before Christmas, I go over to my dad's to celebrate our Christmas together. It's always nice to spend time with all of them, especially my precious sisters, Abby and Emma. Here are a few pictures from our special evening!

All of us!

Precious girls!

Emma in her new shirt I bought her!

Abby in her new pearls!


Abby made me that adorable candy-christmas tree!

Me and Daddy!

Deck the Halls!

2010-12-20T14:29:00.003-06:00

Being that Christmas is less than a week away (oh my!), I thought I would share a few pictures of my holiday decor throughout my apartment. As some of you may know, I am obsessed with all-things Christmas, so I try to make it as festive as possible. :)

My kitchen table

Ornaments in a trifle dish!

Christmas plates and chargers with a touch of sparkle! (thanks Mom)

stockings!

My tree!

Up close...

Living room!

Homemade tree-skirt made from fun fabric!

Mini tree in my bedroom!

May your Christmas be Merry and Bright,

Thanks & Giving

2010-12-20T11:25:00.011-06:00

I am obviously behind on my blogging - but I thought I would share a few pictures from Thanksgiving this year. Just like every year, it is always so nice to get together with my family, share a lovely meal, and enjoy time with everyone (which there never seems to be enough of).

I am so thankful for my wonderful, healthy family, and that most of us are close enough to spend the holidays together. Thanksgiving is such a special day, and my favorite holiday (aside from Christmas), because it is important to give thanks for all of the many blessings in our lives.

Here are a few pictures from our special Holiday!

Beautiful table-setting all ready for the feast!

Mom being silly while finishing up the Yams!

Austin Reed - looking fashionably-adorable.

Uncle Randy

After our feast - such yummy food!

So many desserts! I had fun baking my cheesecake-pumpkin swirl this year!

Erin & Jack


Shelbie, Demi, Travis, Me and Mom

Thankful for YOU,

24 going on 12...

2010-12-13T12:46:00.004-06:00

It is hard to believe that just a little more than a month ago, I turned 24. Whenever I was younger I always thought that by 24, surely I would be married, have a house, probably have a child, be set in my career, among other things that were floating around in my mind at the time.

Now that I am 24, I am actually thankful and happy to be just where I am. You always hear about how much your 20's change you...especially your 'mid-twenties' (which is about smack-dab where I'm at...give or take a year), and I'm finding that every year I feel a little younger. Not physically of course, but in my mind I still feel like a kid in more ways than one. Although I have a long list of duties and responsibilities to obtain, among other 'adult-esque' topics...my heart still thinks like a child.

To this day, Christmas lights still excite me, children's movies bring me joy, hugs from my dad make me feel safe and special, and spending the night with my mom gives me great comfort. And although I know all of those 'adult' moments will come, and although I am looking forward to them a great deal...there will always be a part of me that will want to stay young and little. And I'm sure we all feel that way from time to time...no matter how old. :)

Not only was my 24th birthday a special one...but it was a good year for me as well. I found out a lot about myself, did a lot of soul searching, and really thought about what I wanted out of life. It's been nice, and I only hope to grow more into the person God intended me to be.

AND since my birthday was such a delight - here are a few photo's from my November to Remember...

Beautiful cookies that Erin surprised me with. Darling, right?

And she set up this adorable table setting too! :)

November Birthday Girls!

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday so special. I am so lucky and thankful for this blessed life.

Oh-mazing October!

2010-11-15T14:15:00.008-06:00

As you can see, it's been a while since I updated on here...like over a month for sure, so I figured its time to get on the ball. My reason for neglecting my blog is because I have been keeping super busy, (as we all are this time of year), so here is an update of what I've been up to recently...

For starters, October did not only seem to fly by, but it was one of the most eventful months of my year.
With that said...where to begin....hmmm. ;)

Well, for those of you who don't already know, in a last-minute learning experience/career decision, I decided to go to Dental Assisting School. After going to the dentist back in March, I left with a curiosity about the dental field, which stayed with me through the summer, which lead me to doing research on different schools and signing up in September. (Ahh, that was a mouth-full).

My first day was October 2nd, and I am surprised to say that I absolutely LOVE it. The school is located in The Woodlands and is called the Houston Dental Assisting School. It is a ten-week program, and in the final week I will take the State exam which will make me a Registered Dental Assistant in Texas. Yes ladies and gents...I will have "special letters" following my name. It will look something like this.... Donna Calhoun, RDA. - Im not going to lie, I'm kind of excited about having a title. ;)

Class is every Saturday from 8-5, and next week will ALREADY be week 8! It has flown by and I'm sad to see it come to an end...I have made several new friends which is a plus, and I have learned so much! I am pleased to say that I have a new-found passion for the mouth, and for the idea of being a dental assistant. So floss those teeth, people! I'm watching ya! ;)

I am also delighted to say that I had my mid-term last week, which I got a 97 on. Yippy! Thus bringing my entire class average to a 96 .... probably the best grade I've ever had in my life. And don't get me wrong...this dental stuff is pretty detailed material and is information required to know by the American Dental Assistants Association, thus causing my new found love for index-cards and study-buddies.

My grade is highlighted in green! :)

All my flash cards so far...lots of information as you can tell!

I will keep you updated on my last few weeks, and on my job search! So a BIG thanks to those of you who helped make it able for me to go to this school...you know who you are. ;)

Ok, moving on...

Another Oh-mazing October happening was my weekend trip to...
drum roll please....
NEW YORK CITY!!!

View of street from High Line Park

My best friend, Sabrina is living in New York this semester while doing an internship for an Event Planning Company (So proud of her). So, me and my other best friend Kristen decided to go visit her in October. It was my first time to New York, so I have to admit, I was a little nervous about going since it was only going to be three girls...you know...gigantic city, high crime rate, and subways = not so safe for three 20-something year old girls! But I felt completely safe the whole time, and had a blast!

Me and Sabrina on Wall St!

We were only there for a weekend, but it was fun-filled with lots of sight-seeing, yummy food, a little shopping, and lots of wine with the girls. It's always fun to getaway with your best friends, but going somewhere like NYC makes it even better!

Kristen, Me & Sabrina from her balcony in Queens - such a great view of the City!

I took about 100 pictures in New York, but since this blog is already a mile long, I figured I'd only post a few. :)

Ok, what's next...Oh yea, HALLOWEEN!
(I know....the longest blog ever, right?)

So this Halloween was the perfect one yet! Saturday night I went out with several friends to Howl at the Moon, which is a bar downtown. We all dressed up, had drinks, and had a great night of fun. Me and Kristen went as Go-Go girls and I loved our costumes! Travis and his friend Jacob went as the Blue Brothers...which was quite a hit. Everyone looked great and had a blast!

Go-Go Girls!

Me and my cute Blues Brother

Then on Sunday, I got to spend time with some of my family over at my Aunt Erin's house! We came over for pizza and wings, and we got to see the reveal of my adorable cousins in their Halloween costumes.

Please meet Chef Austin, and his roasted baby Chicken.
Talk about being "quite the pair."

Cutest thing you've ever seen...right?
Lets just say that there was too much cuteness going on that night with these two. Probably the most adorable Halloween costumes I've ever seen.

Well, I think that just about sums everything up for my October events. Plus, Im sure you are tired of reading by now.

I hope your October was Oh-mazing as well.

Frenzy for Fall

2010-09-28T22:13:00.003-05:00

Welp, it's that time of year again...Fall has arrived!

Along with my excitement for cooler weather, pumpkin spice latte's, fall scented candles, and even the occasional scarf, it also means I get to break out my fall decorations and joyously place them throughout my apartment...hooray!

I got a little more creative this year with my autumn-decor, so I thought I would take some pictures to share.

All ready for Autumn,

xoxo

Precious Moments

2010-09-27T11:29:00.000-05:00

On September 11th, my Aunt Sandy held an event in League City where she auctioned off several items to raise money for her sculpture called, "Most Precious Offering." The money earned from this event went towards the funding for her sculpture to be placed in a Texas park (she already has this amazing sculpture in Lafayette, Indiana...and another location as well, I believe). The sculpture was created to honor the parents and families of fallen soldiers lost in the war, and it is a beautiful piece of work. Way to go Aunt Sands! I am so happy for you, and we are so proud of what you're doing.

During the event, while standing near the dessert table, my cousin Austin randomly asked my Papa Joe to come walk with him to the bridge to look at the water. (Awww.) Here are the pictures of them "in the act". :) A lot of my family came out that day to help with the event and to support Aunt Sandy. There was yummy BBQ, desserts, live music, and a good turn-out of people. Although I did not take as many pictures as I wanted to, here are a few that my cousin Dodie took...

Talk about a precious moment on such a special day...

-xoxo

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-09-25T16:33:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago (and after much anticipation), I finally went to see the movie Eat, Pray, Love. And although I am not typically the type of person to review or critique a film, this movie left me feeling enlightened about the world and all it has to offer, as well as a since of joy for the simple things in life.

You know a movie is good when you're still thinking about it weeks later...and I am now anxious to read the book. It is definitely a "chick-flick," but we all know that those are the best kinds. ;) Any movie that can bring you tears, laughter, adventure, and thought-provoking moments all rolled into one is a great film in my book. I loved it so much, I even came home and bought the soundtrack on itunes. So, ladies...if you haven't seen this movie, you really should. It's a story about a woman who travels to three different countries to do three different things...eat, pray, and love. Three simple words that take her on the journey of a lifetime. By going on this adventure and leaving her "status-quo" life behind, she finds herself.

I think this movie touched me so much because I am in the process of finding myself as well (or maybe I'm just emotional). I am growing as a person each day, my thoughts and views of the world are changing, and my dreams and desires are becoming more simple. I'm in the mindset of looking at the little things, the important things, and trying to live day-by-day, instead of worrying so much. I had the tendency to obsess about "my plan"...you know, the one that every girl in her early 20's has?...The what am I doing with my life, when should I get married, when should I start saving for retirement, will my credit be good enough to purchase a house, will I be a good mother, should I wear more sunblock?...and so on, and so on, yada yada yada. Basically, all the crap that I shouldn't stress over because #1, it's a waste of time to worry so much...and #2, things aren't always in my control, and #3, I am alive, happy, and healthy, and that is what I need to be focusing on.

I notice that when I worry and stress, less positive things occur. But then when I remove that nonsense from my mind, things usually come to me more clearly.

But enough about me and the self-expressive venting, and back to the movie...it was beautiful, it was inspiring...and it better be in my stocking on Christmas morning. ;)

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the movie :

"Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water."

"I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on the water."

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."

"Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly."

"You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight."

"The more exquisitely and delightfully you can do nothing, the higher your life's achievement."

Sorry if this blog post ended up feeling more like a diary entry, but hey...a girls gotta express herself sometimes, right? ;)

Make sure you eat, pray, and love today...
and everyday.

-Donna